Thanks to centuries of government interventionism, Brazil remains mired in a sluggish boom-bust economy, and the government has now squandered the benefits of decades of growth. Fortunately, free-market ideas are growing more popular in Brazil and may someday offer a way out.

Brazil's government has long been devoted to the idea that more government spending will create more economic prosperity. For a time, it seemed to work, but now reality and disillusionment have set in, writes Antony Mueller . This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale...